Without Regret (Pyte/Sentinel #2)(20)

“What program is that?” Chris asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“The program you will never touch,” she snapped, irritated, hungry, tired, and losing her patience with these games.

“You didn’t answer my question, Munchkin. What program?” Chris asked in a calm voice, further pissing her off.

“I have a name,” she bit out.

He simply shrugged. “I like munchkin.” He gave her a sexy smile that she forced herself to ignore. “It’s cute, just like you.”

“My name is Isabella,” she bit out slowly.

“Okay, Isabella,” he stressed her name, further pissing her off. “Why don’t you tell us what you were doing hanging out at a park at three in the morning?” he asked casually, but she couldn’t help but notice his jaw clench almost as if he were pissed. What the hell business was it of his what she did?

Oh, that’s right. The hot psycho cult member thought they were married, she reminded herself with a mental groan. Even though his little claim really irritated the hell out of her, she knew she may have to play along at some point if it meant escape.

“Shopping,” she said, biting back a smile when both men’s eyes narrowed on her.

“At three in the morning?” Ephraim asked, arching a brow in question, somewhat reminding her of the FBI agent she spoke to the other day. The man had authority written all over him in a bad ass kind of way, much like the jerk she couldn’t stop drooling over.

“No crowds,” she simply said, biting back a smile when both men glared. She really shouldn’t find their expressions amusing, but for some reason she did and she had to wonder again what long term affects the drugs were going to have on her system.

Chris sighed, rubbing his hand over the angry patch of scar tissue on his neck, almost absently. “I sense you’re determined not to answer our questions.”

She simply shrugged, hoping they were annoyed enough to let her the hell out of here.

“Then perhaps we should explain to you who we are,”

Chris said, sounding almost reluctant. “It might help you understand what we’re up against and why it’s so important that you talk to us.”

“Do whatever you want,” she said in a bored tone. She really couldn’t care less who they were. Besides, she was too tired and aggravated to pretend that she cared at the moment.

Chris looked at her for a long moment as if trying to figure out where to start. Letting her go would be a nice start, she thought, wondering exactly how many games they were going to try and play before they just got to the damn point and demanded her program so she could tell them to go to hell.

“What I’m about to tell you is probably going to scare the hell out of you,” he said, pausing to gauge her reaction. There was none other than annoyance. She really couldn’t think of any bullshit line that he could give her that would convince her to give him her program and she had absolutely no doubt that’s what this was about.

“There’s more to this world than you know, Isabella.”

He paused, probably for drama, she thought as her eyes drifted towards the partially open door, wondering if she could make a run for it. “I’m sure you’ve realized by now that you’re different than everyone else,” Chris said, drawing her attention back to him.

She just barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes when she realized what he was doing. Of course he was giving the “Join our cult” speech. What better way to get their hands on her program and probably her money as well than to have her join them?

They’d probably orchestrated this entire thing, she thought bitterly as she ran her fingers over the two pin size scabs on her neck. Part of her felt flattered that they went through so much just to get her hands on her and her program, but the other part of her was pissed to be played with.

“There’s a good explanation for the way you feel, because you are different,” Chris said. “What I’m about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but please hear me out.”

“Sure,” she sighed, gesturing lazily for him to get on with it. The sooner he was done the sooner she could get some sleep, she hoped, so she could clear her mind and figure out a way to get herself the hell out of this mess.

“Look, I know you’re probably really pissed about being here and scared,” he said, licking his lips, “but you don’t need to be. The first thing you should know is that I will never let anything happen to you. You’re safe.”

Because he thought she was his wife, she reminded herself, wondering if she could use that against him.

“I know this is going to be a lot to take in at once and I wish there was a better way to do it but right now there’s no choice in the matter, Izzy,” he said and she just barely stopped herself from correcting him about her name. If she wanted to get some time to clear her head then she needed him to hurry the hell up with his little sales pitch.

“The first thing you need to know is that you’re not human,” he said, sounding so damn serious that she had the hardest time not rolling her eyes at him.

“You’re a Sentinel,” he announced, giving her an expectant look.

She carefully blanked her expression as she stared back at him. When she didn’t react in any way he shared a look with his “father” before proceeding. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that you’re faster and stronger than the people around you,” he said and Isabella couldn’t help but wonder if the man was high.